Buckeye Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 I understand that Mr. Parsad has made the argument that by having a separate category to discuss politics it will keep these “discussions” from happening within the investment sections of the forum. However, could having a Politics section be encouraging and proliferating these types of “discussions” which end up sucking up most of the air in the room on a forum founded and designed for the discussion of investments? Could the argument be made that by eliminating this category, the forum members who frequent the Politics category will find other forums more focused on politics? Wouldn’t everyone agree that the threads in the politics section never seem to change anyone’s minds/viewpoints and instead act more like an echo chamber to reinforce our already held beliefs? The other argument that has been made for having the politics section is that forum members are given a better view of which members may or may not have better insight within the investment section. For instance, “Holy crap, that member has made some crazy ass comments in the politics section, I am not so sure I should agree with them on XYZ company.” Or “Well that member posts tens or hundreds of comments per day in the Politics section so they clearly don’t spend much time researching companies.” While I agree with both of these sentiments, the argument could be made that weighing the value of a member’s posts should be made solely on their analysis of a company/investment. It is obvious to expect that if the politics category were to be eliminated the occasional topic of politics will still find their way into the investment category. However, wouldn’t it seem that those investment threads will have a good chance of getting back onto the topic in the title as the title itself will continue to attract the members and posts focused on that specific investment being discussed. Can we assume that those threads will “right” themselves? It seems that those discussions will have a better chance of getting back and staying on topic versus the politics thread that are on big downward spiral. Anyone agree? Or should I go back into my hole?:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hjorth Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Buckeye, Please go back to your hole [posted in a friendly way! [ : - ) ]. I'll do the same, when it happens [Not that I consider myself a "sinner" actively posting over time in the Politics Forum here on CoBF.]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LC Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 I think so. It adds no investment value and has morphed into a useless distraction to bicker amongst ourselves. Also I think Sanjeev has mentioned it will be removed in the next major update to the website but he would have to confirm that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharperDingaan Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 The Politics Category serves a useful function. Continuation is subject to diminishing return, but PTD it has been fairly effective. The US election is over in 17 days, following which we will all know if a divisive president is still in power. Should he lose, most would expect a divisive transition of power for a couple of months - as abusive 'pardons' are revoked, 'Gucci' ankle-bracelets become fashionable, and stayed prosecutions come into effect. 2021 is a new year, ripe with new promise. It would make a great deal of opportune sense to shut down the Politics Category on the one-year anniversary of the Covid-19 lockdown in Canada. Replace the category with links to a political book-making shop, re-set the expectations base line, and symbolically just move COBF on to a better place. It is an investment forum - so give members a place to make their bets instead, and earn something to offset the cost of upkeep ;) Different strokes. SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregmal Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Its entertainment and not much more. Sanjeev already said its gone September 1. I assume thats been pushed back a little but should be happening soon. No need for people to get butthurt about it. I do see some get so sore they refuse to even engage on the investment side of things, but who cares. Its not like the ones Ive noticed doing that have much to offer anyway. To each their own. Learning to accept and be tolerant to differing viewpoints is a necessity in life. Nothing wrong with engaging them either. Echo chambers suck in both investing, and in politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsad Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Its entertainment and not much more. Sanjeev already said its gone September 1. I assume thats been pushed back a little but should be happening soon. No need for people to get butthurt about it. I do see some get so sore they refuse to even engage on the investment side of things, but who cares. Its not like the ones Ive noticed doing that have much to offer anyway. To each their own. Learning to accept and be tolerant to differing viewpoints is a necessity in life. Nothing wrong with engaging them either. Echo chambers suck in both investing, and in politics. I said it would be gone in the new incarnation of the site...which is taking alot longer than I expected. I think it's only fair now to continue running the Politics section until a week after the election is over. I expect the site to be ready for December 1st, so that would be about right to let people finish venting. You won't see it again once the new site is active, and all politics chatter will be removed. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCLarkin Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 I understand that Mr. Parsad has made the argument that by having a separate category to discuss politics it will keep these “discussions” from happening within the investment sections of the forum. It has a very vital function. Those of us not interested in the politics discussion can mute it. There is an entire cesspool on COBF of which I am blissfully unaware. Everyone interested in investment should immediately mute "politics". Parsad will be removing the politics category, but that will require very deft moderation. I am hopeful but skeptical that this will be better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadspace Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I think if we are honest with ourselves we would admit that these political discussions are eroding the online friendships and civility that are required on an investment board to allow people to debate investment ideas and to disagree with the idea but not the person - and not belittle the person expressing the idea. That becomes hard to do when you are attacking each other’s politic views over on the politics section. It’s perhaps a microcosm of America but in a very small way it can start the process of destroying what was built here and that needs to be taken seriously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubsfan Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I think if we are honest with ourselves we would admit that these political discussions are eroding the online friendships and civility that are required on an investment board to allow people to debate investment ideas and to disagree with the idea but not the person - and not belittle the person expressing the idea. That becomes hard to do when you are attacking each other’s politic views over on the politics section. It’s perhaps a microcosm of America but in a very small way it can start the process of destroying what was built here and that needs to be taken seriously That is about the best post I ever read on this subject. Parsad is doing the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepupil Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 this may have been said, but i like the politics category because i can mute it, and there's a clear place to discuss politics. Because it exists, political discussion is almost invisible to me, with the corona thread a notable exception. I assume that in its absence political discussions would creep into other categories/threads. this very thread is actually the most i've seen of it (since it's in "general discussion"). but if it's deleted, i think that's okay too, since it formalizes that "this is not a politics board" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwericb Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I have trouble with criticizing the discussion of politics on the board. Anyone who doesn’t want to is not forced to participate. Just ignore it. Politics is a part of life and it does have some impact on investing. The discussion does have some effect on how we view others on the board, which is not necessarily a bad thing. If following the political posts of a board member, leads one to the conclusion that the poster is batshit crazy, that will effect the credibility you give to his investment posts. No one is forced to participate. It is mind broadening to the extent that it gives participants a view of how those on the other side of politics think. Furthermore, if it is deleted much of the discussion will likely creep into other topics. The Covid topic is an example. How do you restrain discussing politics when the President himself has gone out of his way to politicized the disease? And - I guess my last remark is an example of how politics can even insert itself into any discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutch Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I don't think it's a matter of participating/ignoring the politics board. I believe that toxic conversations and tensions among certain members in the politics board can carry over to other investment discussions. So not everyone is immune from the politics board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spekulatius Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I think if we are honest with ourselves we would admit that these political discussions are eroding the online friendships and civility that are required on an investment board to allow people to debate investment ideas and to disagree with the idea but not the person - and not belittle the person expressing the idea. That becomes hard to do when you are attacking each other’s politic views over on the politics section. It’s perhaps a microcosm of America but in a very small way it can start the process of destroying what was built here and that needs to be taken seriously Yes, this is very true unfortunately as whatever is posted in the politics section inevitably spills over. I have seen at least one investment board ( investorvillage.com ) getting totally destroyed by political posts. That said, the separate section for politics contains the damage somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DooDiligence Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 There probably should be somewhere for obsessed individuals to blast their opinions into an echo chamber and / or argue with others whose opinions disagree. Fortunately, there are plenty of these outlets & I think it would send a clear message if the new CoBF site had a link to "Politics" which sent the clicker to facebook, Twitter or Yahoo finance (does YF even exist any more? I'm too lazy to find out). If I can restrict my political rants to other outlets, it seems like other members should easily be able to do the same. Wouldn't it suck to know that you have less discipline than me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merkhet Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 I think if we are honest with ourselves we would admit that these political discussions are eroding the online friendships and civility that are required on an investment board to allow people to debate investment ideas and to disagree with the idea but not the person - and not belittle the person expressing the idea. That becomes hard to do when you are attacking each other’s politic views over on the politics section. It’s perhaps a microcosm of America but in a very small way it can start the process of destroying what was built here and that needs to be taken seriously That is about the best post I ever read on this subject. Parsad is doing the right thing. +1 agreed on all the above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalal.Holdings Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Who needs a thread on “the psychology of misjudgment” when the politics section offers a live demonstration? ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardboard Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 If you wrote down what you say and do, you could have a bestseller on the topic. Cardboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalal.Holdings Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 If you wrote down what you say and do, you could have a bestseller on the topic. Cardboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mephistopheles Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Moderator, please move this thread to the "Politics" section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DooDiligence Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Moderator, please move this thread to the "Politics" section. You may not have intended that to be funny but it made me snort ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mephistopheles Posted October 23, 2020 Share Posted October 23, 2020 Moderator, please move this thread to the "Politics" section. You may not have intended that to be funny but it made me snort ;) I did intend it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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